This 4-ingredient oven chicken is the kind of dependable dinner that saves a busy evening and still feels like a real home-cooked meal. Using raw boneless skinless chicken breasts and a few pantry staples, you can make a savory, juicy main dish with hardly any prep, and it is especially handy for weeknights when you want something comforting without a lot of fuss.

Serve this chicken with mashed potatoes, buttered rice, egg noodles, or roasted vegetables so you can spoon some of the flavorful pan juices over the top. It also pairs nicely with a simple green salad, steamed green beans, or warm dinner rolls, making it easy to round out the meal for family or company.

4-Ingredient Oven Chicken

Servings: 4

Baked chicken breasts plated with pan juices
Baked chicken breasts plated with pan juices

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth

Chicken breasts with sour cream, broth, and onion soup mix ingredients
Chicken breasts with sour cream, broth, and onion soup mix ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a deep roasting pan or 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. Arrange the raw boneless skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared pan.

Chicken breasts arranged in a deep roasting pan
Chicken breasts arranged in a deep roasting pan

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix, sour cream, and chicken broth until smooth and well combined.

Creamy onion sauce mixed in a bowl
Creamy onion sauce mixed in a bowl

4. Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well coated.

Chicken breasts covered with creamy sauce in roasting pan
Chicken breasts covered with creamy sauce in roasting pan

5. Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F in the thickest part.

Baked chicken in creamy onion sauce fresh from the oven
Baked chicken in creamy onion sauce fresh from the oven

6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon the pan sauce over each piece.

Plated oven chicken with pan sauce and simple sides
Plated oven chicken with pan sauce and simple sides

Variations & Tips

For extra flavor: Add a light sprinkle of black pepper, garlic powder, or paprika before baking if your family likes a little more seasoning. Since the soup mix is already salty and savory, taste the sauce before adding any extra salt.

For picky eaters: If someone at the table prefers a plainer bite, use less sauce on one or two pieces of chicken and spoon only a little over the top after baking. Serving it with noodles or rice also helps mellow the onion flavor.

To keep the chicken juicy: If your chicken breasts are very large, consider slicing them in half horizontally for more even cooking. A quick check with a meat thermometer is the easiest way to avoid overbaking.

Easy add-ins: You can tuck sliced mushrooms or a layer of thinly sliced potatoes around the chicken before baking for a fuller one-pan meal. Just make sure the vegetables are cut small enough to become tender in the baking time.